Client Satisfaction to Referral Service and Associated Factors Among Health Centers in Tigray, Ethiopia, 2019.

PURPOSE: Even though referral is a major public health issue in the sub-Saharan countries including Ethiopia, there is limited data particularly in the study area. So, this study was aimed to assess client satisfaction with referral service and associated factors. OBJECTIVE: To assess client satisfaction to referral service and associated factors among Health Centers in Tigray, Ethiopia, 2019. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This was an institutional-based cross-sectional study carried out among Health Centers selected using simple a random sampling technique from February 2019 to April 2019. A total of 421 referred individuals were proportionally allocated to eight health centers and interviewed using pretested 5-point Likert scale structured questionnaire. After data collection, it was entered using Epi Info then transferred to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for the purpose of analysis. Factors associated with the satisfaction toward referral service were assessed using binary logistic regression. Statistically significant variables at the bivariate logistic regression analysis were regarded as nominees for multivariable analysis. The strength of the association of factors with satisfaction toward referral was determined by computing crude odds ratio (COR) and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In this study, 47% of referred patients were satisfied with the referral of Health Centers. Residence (AOR=2.2 CI=1.3, 1.5), age (AOR=3.1 CI =2.3, 6.4), and educational status (AOR=2.1 CI =1.7, 4.9) were statistically significant factors. CONCLUSION: Significant clients were dissatisfied with the referral of Health Centers. Age, educational status, and residences were statistically significant factors. So, the Health Centers management and health care provider should work to reduce time spent to get a referral, reduce challenges in the referral process, increase helping and giving responsibility for the referred clients, improve communication.

Preventive Practice and Associated Factors Toward Coronavirus Disease 19 in Adigrat Town, Northern Ethiopia: Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: The global coronavirus disease 19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis, unlike any since the end of the Second World War. Yet no successful vaccine or treatment has been reported. Even though increasing the practice of the community is critical to prevent coronavirus disease 19 pandemic, there is limited study in Ethiopia particularly in the study area. Therefore, the study aimed to assess practice and associated factors toward coronavirus disease 19. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and associated factors with practice toward coronavirus disease 19 prevention in Adigrat residents, Northern Ethiopia, 2020. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study design was carried out among 421 Adigrat Town residents from September 10 to 20, 2020. Households were selected using systematic sampling technique. To identify determinant factors, binary logistic regression analyses were employed with confidence interval of 95%. To identify statistically significant factors, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was used. Statisticalsignificance was determined at P-value <0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of poor practice was 32.2% (95% CI (31.5-38.5%)). Age of 20-29 (AOR=2.1, 95% CI (1.9-6.5)), occupational status of unemployed (AOR=1.5, CI 95% (1.4-1.9)), marital status of unmarried (AOR=1.9, 95% CI (1.2-12.5)), and educational status of cannot read and write (AOR=2.1, 95% CI (2.0-9.3)) were statistically significant factors toward COVID-19 prevention. CONCLUSION: The poor practice toward coronavirus disease 19 prevention was significantly high. Age, occupation, marital status, and educational status were significantly associated with the preventive practice toward the coronavirus disease 19. It would be helpful if the health professionals or other volunteers inform the community continuously by giving health educations regarding the preventive ways to increase the practice.

Temporary Hearing Loss and Associated Factors Among Ayka Addis Textile Factory Workers in Oromia Region, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: The development of modern automated machines in industries has considerably decreased the physical burden of workers in addition to increasing the productivity of the industries resulting in noise pollution. Noise exposure above the limit value of 90 dB (A) is known to cause temporary hearing loss among exposed workers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional-based cross-sectional study design was employed for a total of 406 study participants using a simple random sampling technique from January 15 to April 30, 2019. The data collection methods were observational checklist and a self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into EpiData software version 4.2 and exported to SPSS software version 21 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic analyses wwere used to identify the associated factors. Statistical significance was declared using a 95% confidence interval and a p-value of less than 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 388 study participants were included in the study with a response rate of 95.6%, of which 254 (65.5%) were females. The overall temporary hearing loss among the textile factory workers was found to be 49% with COR=1.53; 95% CI (1.15-2.03). The workers from the spinning department were 2.38 times more likely to develop temporary hearing loss after exiting from work than workers from the dyeing department (95% CI= (1.16-4.90). Similarly, workers from the knitting department were 3.67 times more likely to develop temporary hearing loss after exiting from work than workers from the dyeing department (95% CI=1.42-9.47). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that the workforce in the spinning and knitting departments of the textile factory had a high prevalence of temporary hearing loss than the workers in dyeing and garment working sections. Therefore, the textile factory should provide hearing protection devices to the workers.

Individual and community level factors associated with anemia among children 6-59 months of age in Ethiopia: A further analysis of 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey.

BACKGROUND: Anemia is a global public health problem; but its burden is disproportionately borne among children in the African Regions. The 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey report showed that the prevalence of anemia among children 6-59 months of age was 57%; far exceeding the national target of 25% set for 2015. Although studies have been conducted in Ethiopia, multilevel analysis has rarely been used to identify factors associated with anemia among children. Therefore, this study aimed to identify individual and community-level factors associated with anemia among children 6-59 months of age by fitting a multilevel logistic regression model. METHODS: The data was obtained from the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey, conducted from January to June 2016, and downloaded from the website http://www.DHSprogram.com. The sample was taken using two-stage stratified sampling. In stage one, 645 Enumeration Areas and in stage two 28 households per Enumeration Area were selected. A sample of 7790 children 6-59 months of age was included. Data were analyzed using STATA version 14. A multilevel logistic regression model was fitted and an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was obtained. RESULT: From the individual-level factors, anemia was associated most strongly with child age, wealth index, maternal anemia and child stunting followed by child underweight, child fever and birth order whereas from the community-level, the strongest odds of anemia occurred among children from Somali, Harari, Dire Dawa and Afar region followed by Oromia and Addis Ababa. Low community-poverty is a protective factor for anemia. The odds of anemia were 0.81 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.99) times lower for children who were living in communities of lower poverty status than children who were living in communities of higher poverty status. Children from Somali and Dire Dawa had 3.38 (95% CI: 3.25, 5.07) and 2.22 (95% CI: 1.42, 3.48) times higher odds of anemia, respectively than children from the Tigray region. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that anemia among children 6-59 months of age is affected both by the individual and community level factors. It is better to strengthen the strategies of early detection and management of stunted and underweight children. At the same time, interventions should be strengthened to address maternal anemia, child fever and poverty, specifically targeting regions identified to have a high risk of anemia.